Eugene/Springfield Bahá'í Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

30 December, 2010

Eugene-Area Bahá’ís Express Growing Concern for Iranian Coreligionists

After more than two years of confinement, seven Bahá’í leaders in Iran were convicted in August of “propaganda activities against the Islamic order and the establishment of an illegal administration” and sentenced to 20 years incarceration in one of the worst prisons in the nation. The Bahá’ís have categorically denied these charges, and human rights lawyers in Iran are appealing these convictions.

Yet this was just one aspect of a strategy planned by Iranian authorities to completely wipe out the religion in Iran. Among other tactics carried out by the regime:

• Bahá’í youth continue to be denied entry to Iran’s colleges and universities.
• Teachers humiliate Bahá’í children in their classrooms.
• Iranian Bahá’ís are denied jobs and business licenses.
• Since August 2004, some 335 Bahá’ís have been arrested in Iran. About 50 of them are currently in prison because of their religion.

To draw attention to these offenses, the Bahá’ís of Eugene invite friends and well-wishers to join them on Sunday, January 9, in a day of prayer for their co-religionists in the land where their faith was born. This special devotional gathering will be held at the Eugene Bahá’í Center, 1458 Alder St., beginning at 10 a.m. The Bahá’ís will be joined by special guest Dr. Feridoon Rahimi, who, along with his family, suffered persecution together with many other Bahá’ís in Iran merely because of their Faith.

As the situation for the Bahá’ís in Iran has worsened, the Bahá’í International Community has reached out in an open letter to Iran’s judiciary, reminding the government of its obligations, saying: “We...request that the Bahá’ís in that country be granted their full rights of citizenship, in order that they may be able to fulfill their heartfelt aspiration to contribute, alongside their fellow citizens, to the advancement of their nation.

“This, indeed, is no more than what you rightfully ask for Muslim minorities who reside in other lands. Bahá’ís merely seek the same treatment from you.”

Others, including the UN General Assembly, nations, human rights and religious organizations around the world, are again raising their voices in support of the Iranian Bahá’ís.

In December, the United Nations General Assembly supported a resolution that expressed “deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations.” In more than two decades of such resolutions about Iran, the vote passed with one of the highest percentages ever. Among those violations is suppression of religious freedom, especially for members of the Bahá’í faith.

The UN resolution followed condemnation of Iran’s treatment of the Bahá’ís by the governments of Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain and the European Union, among others.  The U.S. State Department’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (2010) highlighted the perils faced by Baha’is in Iran: “During the reporting period government-controlled broadcast and print media intensified negative campaigns against religious minorities, particularly the Baha’is.”

“It would be easy, when confronted with human rights violations from Darfur to Myanmar, to feel overwhelmed, to want to think about something else. Yet it’s clear that just continuing to shine a light on these injustices does make a difference,” said Marcia Veach, public information officer for the Eugene-Springfield Bahá’í communities. “For example, the outcry over the conviction of the seven Baha’i leaders in August was followed by a reduction in their sentence from 20 years to 10. While this wasn’t ideal—we feel they should be exonerated and released—it was at least a small concession on the part of the Iranian government.”

The devotional portion of the meeting at the Eugene Bahá’í Center will be followed by a discussion time, fellowship and refreshments. As with all Bahá’í events, no donations are requested or accepted.

For more information, call 541-344-3173 or go to www.EugeneBahai.com.

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For more information about the Bahá’í Faith: http://www.bahai.us/